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Topic: Orthodox "Clubbing"?? (Read 4281 times)

Hey everyone. I'm turning 18 a week from today! Hooray for me! My mom and sister are getting me a cat because I love cats and the shelters are exploding with cats these days.

Anyways, I was wondering if it "ok" for Orthodox Christians to go clubbing at clubs? You see, like 90% of my friends go to clubs to hang out, to chill, and to dance, and everytime they have asked me, I would always refuse because I guess I am worried about what goes on there. I hear sometimes ppl bring drugs or even guns, but u won't get shot unless you provoke someone. And besides I live in a nice part of town where hearing a gun shot is as common place as aliens landing on our front porch.

I have never been before and thats why I ask...heck the only parties I evengo to are Greek parties hosted by friends and by the church! That really makes my more-than old school parents happy as I don't get shot and I'm among the same people.

I've been to some Serbian and Antiochian parties, really fun! The Coptic parties are only fun when you're in a hall like 20 minutes away from the church. Dancing, music, and drinking are like big taboos over there. I once went to a Coptic party at a church I was invited to and I thought the usual orhtodox party would be held, some food, music, and traditional dancing, but there was cheezy instrumental arabic and Bach playing, we drank coke, and the guys and girls practically sat at opposite ends of the table. It was kind of like being at a monastery except with monks playing classical music in the background...

Actually after most of my friends have asked me to go to clubs with them, and after sorely disappointing them by refusing I usually didn't get invitations to hang out because on a friday night that is usually where they are. So while my friends are all together on a friday night, I am sitting here at my pc talking to my online buddies who I don't really know. Really lame...

So by refusing am I doing the christian thing to do or is it just an ecxuse not to go out and see it for what is is myself?

I don't think its wrong to go clubbing but then again, I've never been so what do I know.

I asked some priests about it. The Greek priest said it was fine as long as we didn't do anything wrong or get into trouble, the Archimandrite told me it was best to avoid it, and I chanced upon a Coptic priest who told me that it's like a complete sin to go 5 feet aanywhere near there...

So wut do y'all think? Oh yeah and my apolagies for ranting. I hope that didn't turn you off (no pun intended).

P.S: And "WWJD" wouldn't work for me. I drive a car but I'm sure Christ cares about the environment.H Panagia Mazi Mas, Timos

clubs are kinda lame man...i kinda got tired of them after a year or two....but you should probably go once or twice..you'll see its nothing more than a gorilla mating ground. plus your ears will thank you later in life when you can still hear.

if your goal is to pick up women(which let's be honest here...that's what 99% of the guys go for...i mean really who goes to a club to dance) there are better venues..preferably school or somewhere you can be assured she isn't slutty or trashy.

Hey Jimm thanx for the reply, but what is slutty to you? If you mean is still a virgin, I'm not sure how much luck I would get today, even among the orthodox. To me I don't think someone who is not a virgin is a slut. People make mistakes. But if they are continuously doing it then thats what I call slutty.I might go some time just to check it out...

well, since this is a christian forum i need to restrain myself from certain terminology. but for the most part slutty is loose women who are looking for a "fun night." not all women in clubs are slutty. i think clubs have a propensity to make one act in an animalistic manner so id stay away from them, but it couldnt hurt to go once and see.

ok, so then there are lots of women who just want to dance....And if there is one MORE guy who is there to have fun with his friends and NOT scope out women, then the women who just want to dance will have a better goodguy:badguy ratio.

Maybe I'm just incredibly cynical, but "club" = "meat market" in my experience, and while only God knows what women really think they're going to find by going to such places, I think it is safe to say that most males who go to them really are looking for a "cheap date."

Or maybe I'm just a creep deep down, and am projecting - maybe so, but I still think that assessment is correct, wishful thinking aside.

I guess in the end, what anyone does or doesn't do is entirely up to them, hypocritical sermonizing aside.

I'm not big on clubbing, unless I'm with a group of close friends. If the group is going just to drink/dance/hang out/see the band playing, that's fine. I've done my share of that, though I preffer smaller bars that usually have more local flavor and usually better live music, and where you can hear yourself think, and understand what the people around you are saying. The clubs in DC are just generally a meatmarket, though I have run into other people who just go to have a bit of a good time. Believe it or not, I have met some very nice guys who just go to dance or hang out. I hate going clubbing though with people who are going just to hook up, because it ends up 95% of the time the same old way... them drunk off their behinds and me driving them home, while they mope about this guy or that girl, who was so mean to them, or was teasing them, etc, and it seams like the end of the world, yada yada, though next week (or maybe even the next morning) they won't remember them at all... or how they got home for that matter. I quit that very quickly after I came to DC... I wasted too much $$$ on the cover charge, then the drinks themselves cost an arm and a leg, and then there's always the possiblity of having to post bail for someone who got into a fight (yes it's happened, sadly enough)... well, list goes on. My advise to you Timos, is to ask your friends to find local bars that have live music. The setting is way better, and you have less chance of walking away rather than having a bottle smashed on your skull.

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Now where were we? Oh yeah - the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didnÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...

Ania, thanks for the advice. I live in the suburbs of TO so there are not too many bars around that aren't associated with a strip-tease some wild fetish freak show.

To go to a really decent (sp.) bar I would have to go downtown and in TO there are a ton of cool places to chill and hang out at night where I won't end up having a gun or a bottle to my head.

And whats wrong with going to pick up someone decent?

Most of the youth in eastern orthodox and oriental dioceses I have been involved in do not go to church as earnestly as their grandparents on a regular sunday basis.

Of course in my folk greek dance group, the girls r way out of my league. A while ago the priest would pester the youth to come to Saturday Vespers instead of going out with friends which I thought was not too realistic but I went few times anyway. But I might decide to actually try it out...

The Coptic parties are only fun when you're in a hall like 20 minutes away from the church. Dancing, music, and drinking are like big taboos over there. I once went to a Coptic party at a church I was invited to and I thought the usual orhtodox party would be held, some food, music, and traditional dancing, but there was cheezy instrumental arabic and Bach playing, we drank coke, and the guys and girls practically sat at opposite ends of the table.

Almost everything to do with the Coptic Church and Copts in general has been distorted and misrepresented on this forum, but come on, do we really have to hate on Coptic parties too? The last Coptic party I went to (almost a few years ago at a friend’s 17thÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚Â¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¦when I was a little less “anti-social”) was PUMPED; there was a hired singer that sounded just like Amr Diab at the front singing the latest Amr Diab, Mustafa Amar, and Ehab Tawfiq tunes, and everyone was singing and dancing along (and no, we’re not talking trashy club dancing, we’re talking real Egyptian dancing — and yes that includes belly dancing), there were like 12 guys going around banging on the tablas (drums). Guys and girls were interacting very well, everyone was like a big happy family — Egyptians are usually by nature very social and friendly. There was no alcohol, but things may have been different had the birthday boy been over 18 (legal age here in Australia), though I’m sure it would’ve been consumed in moderation ofcourse. There were many adults around, but it didn’t bother anyone, since there was none of the typical “secular party” business of getting trashed, high, and making out with strangers, nor would anyone have had the party any other way; lots of nice, clean, COPTIC...FUN.

Peace.

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No longer an active member of this forum. Sincerest apologies to anyone who has taken offence to anything posted in youthful ignorance or negligence prior to my leaving this forum - October, 2012.

"Philosophy is the imitation by a man of what is better, according to what is possible" - St Severus

Come on Paradosis, I know you like Coptic parties too! i’m sure there’s a belly dancer in you ; don’t be a party pooper!

I haven’t seen “pandering” (the word you used before you edited your post) going on; I’ve seen both open minded objectivity vs. “let’s-stick-our-heads-in-the-sand” type mentalities — and if people want to be party poopers because of any presence of the former, well I just hope they took a nice big piece of Egyptian Torta before they left the party so early.

Peace.

Logged

No longer an active member of this forum. Sincerest apologies to anyone who has taken offence to anything posted in youthful ignorance or negligence prior to my leaving this forum - October, 2012.

"Philosophy is the imitation by a man of what is better, according to what is possible" - St Severus

The Coptic parties are only fun when you're in a hall like 20 minutes away from the church. Dancing, music, and drinking are like big taboos over there. I once went to a Coptic party at a church I was invited to and I thought the usual orhtodox party would be held, some food, music, and traditional dancing, but there was cheezy instrumental arabic and Bach playing, we drank coke, and the guys and girls practically sat at opposite ends of the table. It was kind of like being at a monastery except with monks playing classical music in the background...

Ekhristos Anesti, I didn't mean to insult you. All I was saying is that if the party was in the church hall, you are really limited to what you can do, eat, and drink, and listen to - which kinda sucks if its a "party". At all the other orthodox churches I've never seen this happen. Everyone is allowed to dance moderately, drink moderately, and listen to music...

btw, you got a cool name and I'm sure you know that it's "Khristos Anesti" the 'e' is just from arabic accent I am guessing.

Bak to the party...I've been to some Coptic weddings and they were really good.

I just turnned 18 today and I am going to the club with my friends tonight..... I am not going to get up on any guys, I am just going to have fun with my friends, I think that if you have the right intentions than there is nothing wrong with that.

Now someone might say "well why cant you just hang out with your friends somewhere else and have fun that way?" Well, the truthis that it is more fun to be around other people get noticed and talk to new people. That does not mean that you are trying to get in thier pants while some ppl are like that, it is easy to spot them and to stear your direction away from that.

here was a hired singer that sounded just like Amr Diab at the front singing the latest Amr Diab, Mustafa Amar, and Ehab Tawfiq tunes, and everyone was singing and dancing along (and no, we’re not talking trashy club dancing, we’re talking real Egyptian dancing — and yes that includes belly dancing

I had a hard enough time enjoying the singing at Greek parties and now I must like Coptic parties!

In my experience, it really depends on where you go. Personally, I do not like clubbing as it costs too much and I don't enjoy the music. San Antonio has bad clubs. Astoria, though is not bad.

However, for a really good time, I recommend looking at the 8-3-2005 thread in the Free for All, Timos. Coffee is the reason I cannot accept atheism!

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"If you give the average Frenchman a choice between a reforming president who would plug the country's huge deficit and a good cheese, he would probably opt for the cheese." - Stephen ClarkeI think the French may be on to something here.

In my experience, it really depends on where you go. Personally, I do not like clubbing as it costs too much and I don't enjoy the music.

I would have to agree

You know..... It was quite dissapointing, people constantly pushing into you, it is sooo hot and there are a lot of rude ppl I think you should definatly not get your hopes up (like I did) but hey, maybe your experience will be better

I guess a lot of it depends on what you mean by a "club." I hate dancing, but I do like live music. Basically, I just go to the same two bars, where all my friends hang out. If you're not going to 1. find sex 2. get insanely drunk 3. fight, etc. I don't see any harm at all. I've met lots of cool people in bars, and certainly had interesting conversations. Of course, I'm old, so it's sort of a different situation. I guess if I was being offered Ecstasy to dance all night, that's something to be avoided! Hey, most people have a gut feeling about what's "wrong" or "right." I used to worry, because I LOVE bars, I like the social aspect, and I thought it wasn't the most Orthodox thing, but again, if you're interacting with people in a good way, I don't see it as a problem. You can be at work and get involved in an adulterous relationship. You can be sitting in a bar discussing Crime and Punishment, and then go home after two drinks and go to sleep! All up to you dude